The CDA Foundation is seeking donations for this year’s annual silent auction at the CDA House of Delegates. Hosted annually in November, the auction gives members a chance to bid on and win great prizes and trips while helping the Foundation make a difference in the lives of others. Donated items can include wine, jewelry, artwork (paintings, pottery, glassware), timeshares, sporting event tickets, gift cards and more. The deadline for receipt of donated items is Sept. 1.

Providing education, promoting evidence-based acute pain management practices and forming partnerships with specialty dental organizations form the basis of the CDA Opioid Policy adopted by the CDA House of Delegates at its annual meeting last November. The new policy solidifies CDA’s role as a leader in state health care policy and creates new opportunities to collaborate with health care colleagues and others to reduce the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids.

Walter G. Weber, DDS, was installed as the new CDA president last week at the House of Delegates meeting in San Diego. During his speech to delegates, Weber emphasized the importance of CDA continually looking for ways to best serve its members in the profession's changing landscape. Current trends in dentistry, including shrinking dental insurance benefits, pressures to reduce costs, and increasing costs of dental education, make it important for CDA to understand members' needs and develop strategies to help them succeed and best serve patients, he said.

Dental students from across the state had their voices heard at the CDA House of Delegates meeting in Sacramento. The student delegation at this year’s meeting on Nov. 15-17 included 32 dental students from the six dental schools in California. The voting delegation had a say in the issues discussed at the meeting and also used the event as an opportunity to network.

Thanks to the generosity of member dentists, nearly $100,000 was raised for the CDA Foundation and its programs at the CDA House of Delegates meeting. The money will go toward supporting future CDA Cares clinics and the Student Loan Repayment Grant program.

The annual session of the 2013 CDA House of Delegates will be held Nov. 15-17 at the Sacramento Hyatt Regency. The event will be attended by more than 200 delegates, representing 32 local dental societies, who will decide on issues of importance to CDA’s membership. Among the duties of the delegates will be to elect officers of the association.

The CDA House of Delegates last month took action on several resolutions related to social media marketing and fee splitting in the dental practice. At its meeting in Newport Beach, the House voted in favor of modifying the CDA Code of Ethics to include an advisory opinion on split fees in advertising and marketing services.

As part of its continued efforts to keep members up-to-date on the changing landscape of the dental benefits industry, CDA invited three experts in the field to speak to the 2012 House of Delegates last month.

Student delegates representing the six dental schools across California participated in the 2012 CDA House of Delegates in Newport Beach this month. The opportunity to have their voices heard on the issues that affect the profession as a voting delegation is something the students said they appreciate.

Lindsey Robinson, DDS, was installed as the new CDA president this month at the House of Delegates meeting in Newport Beach. Robinson, a graduate of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, is a pediatric dentist practicing in Grass Valley. She succeeds Immediate Past President Dan Davidson, DMD.